Bio

THE LEGENDARY KING OF SHAG

By Howie Thompson

Author Howie Thompson breaks through the legend status to get to the man in the first and only authorized biography of FAT HAROLD: THE LEGENDARY KING OF SHAG.

Beginning 1955 until the present, Fat Harold earns the spot of being the most influential man in all of Grand Strand. He owns and ran Fat Harold’s Beach Club, now a historic landmark and a club which helped ignite and fuel the beach music scene. Many attribute the revival of shag and beach music to Fat Harold but his legendary image is second only to his generosity. The glitz and glamour pales in comparison to what he has done for North Myrtle Beach, Ocean Drive and for the whole shag-dancing world.

Many people remember Fat Harold as a man who “always made it happen”. His story is not just about finding success and basking in glory after all the hard work; it is about a man who had a heart for everyone and the guts to make great things happen.

Harold Bessent created a way of life like no other. Preserved that way of life and gave the people of North Myrtle Beach, a place to enjoy this life style and be proud of what they lovingly call "Shag Dancing." In addition he has raised over $2,000,000 for Camp Kemo, a camp in Columbia, SC. that gives children with cancer a chance to have fun and enjoy life. The book not only outlines this man's outstanding history, but brings to light the love and respect that prominent musicians, his employees, political pundents and friends have for him. Together with several partners, Harold built and rebuilt six different beach clubs and all the while preserved Shag Dancing for his generation and many more to come.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Howie “Coach” Thompson was born in Darien, Ct. on January 11th, 1949. He grew up an only child in one of the wealthiest towns in America, literally on the wrong side of the tracks. His father passed away when Howie was just 9 years old and he was raised by a very hard working dedicated mother (Marion Thompson) who loved her son dearly.
He attended Darien Public Schools from Kindergarten through HS and was involved in sports from the early age of 8 years old. He played baseball into the Minor Leagues and competitive basketball and softball well into his 50’s Howie started his coaching career at the tender age of 16 with his Uncle Eddie who was his mentor early on. He quickly transitioned into Director of Umpires for the Darien Little League and Babe Ruth Leagues at 19 years old, as well as Head Coach for one of the Little League teams. By the age of 25 Howie had graduated from the University of Tampa with a BS in Physical Education, where he played baseball and football and was playing in a baseball league, 2 softball leagues and a basketball league while directing the Town of Wilton, Ct. Recreation Dept.
By the age of 32 Howie had completed his Masters Degree from Southern Ct. State University and was working as a sales representative for Metropolitan Life Insurance, while coaching Football and Soccer in two separate towns, and playing for 2 different softball teams as well as a basketball league in New Haven, Ct. He organized the first Girls Travel Soccer program, The First Girls Travel Basketball program, and the First Girls Softball League for the Town of Weston, Ct. Later he would become the President and a Head coach in all three of these leagues guiding his soccer teams and the girls Softball All Star team to State and Division Championships. He continued to coach in Ct. for the next 20 years for both HS. And Travel Teams winning numerous State and Local titles in soccer and basketball

In 1999 Howie moved to Durham, NC where he was the Wakefield MS boys and girls Head Soccer Coach, Girls head Basketball Coach and Athletic Trainer for this brand new Middle School. . He then went on to coach the Southern (Durham) HS Boys Soccer team, and the Durham School of Arts Boys HS soccer team as well as their Girls MS Soccer team. He was able to take the boys HS Soccer team to the Regional Championship twice, and the Girls MS Soccer Team to the League Championship twice. He also coached the Girls MS Basketball Team, and for 2 years coached the NC School of Math and Science Boys Varsity Basketball Team. From 1999 until 2006 Howie coached soccer for the Triangle Futbol Club and Directed the Durham/Chapel Hill Strikers Soccer Club. Here he won numerous Awards for coaching, including 3 consecutive Adidas/NSCAA Regional Coach of the Year awards, 2 HS and Youth State Sportsmanship Awards and in 2002 won the Adidas/NSCAA National Coach of the Year. He also wrote 2 of his first three book; The Complete Guide to Youth Soccer and A Game for All Seasons.
In 2006 Howie moved to Little River, SC and lives there today in the River Hills Community. He has served on the POA Board of Directors since 2009 and is now the President of the POA Board. In 2007 he wrote his 3rd book, Overtime, the Legend of Trey “Shooter” Parrish which now has a screen play written for it.
You can contact Howie at ncoachhta@hotmail.com or call him at 919-824-1110. Howie’s website is ncoachhta@msn.comhowiethompsononline.com and he encourages any comments you may have for this book.
“I want to thank everyone involved in the making of this historic book. Harold is a gracious man and gave me access to the many people that made this book possible. I especially want to thank Linda, my love and partner for life, for introducing me to a world that I had no idea existed. I love this life. From Craig, Jimmy and Butch to Shannon, Joy and Gary, to all the patrons of Fat Harold’s, thank you for your cooperation. Everyone was so helpful and everyone wanted so much to be a part of this legacy of the man we lovingly call Fat Harold. I am honored to have been a part of something that will live on long after all of us are having a beer “up there” and talking junk with the Fat Man on his stool at the end of the bar.
” In the immortal words of the Fat Man himself; “Let’s party, let’s have fun, and let’s dance.”